Date: April 6, 2000

Grade Level(s): 8, 9, 10, 11

Subject(s):

• Social Studies/US History

Description: In this Unit, students will examine the various political and social changes which have occurred as individuals and groups have raised civil rights issues and challenged the status quo in the 1950’s and 1960’s. These events and changes will be chronicled in, but not limited to the following: Brown v Board of Education, Montgomery Bus boycott, Little Rock Crisis, Marches on Washington, Birmingham and Selma, the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, 1964 the 24th Amendment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The students will research the events, making an oral presentation to the class, and creating a visual/photographic timeline. The teacher will be responsible to interject the appropriate primary source materials such as speeches, essays songs, poetry and videos.

Goals: Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills for United States History, high school: The student will:
(7) - demonstrate an understanding of the impact of American Civil Rights movement,
(7B) - identifies significant leaders of the civil rights movement including Dr. Martin L. Kings, Jr.
(17) - demonstrates an understanding of the impact of Constitutional issues on American society in the 20th century,
(17A) - analyzes the effects of 20th century landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions such as Brown v Board of Education.
(18) - demonstrates an understanding of the efforts to expand the democratic process, and
(18B) - evaluates various means of achieving equality of political rights including the 19th, 24th and 26th amendments, and
(18C) - explains how participation in the democratic process reflects our national identity.
(21) - demonstrates an understanding of how people from various groups, including racial, ethnic and religious groups adapt to life in the U.S. and contribute to our national identity, and
(21A) - explains actions taken by people from racial, ethnic and religious groups to expand economic opportunities and political rights in American society, and
(21C) - analyzes how the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic and religious groups have helped to shape the national identity.
(24) - applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology,
(24A) - is expected to locate and use primary and secondary sources such as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews and artifacts to acquire information about the U.S., and
(24B) - analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying, cause and effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions and drawing inferences and conclusions: and
(24D) - use the process of historical inquiry to research, interpret, and use multiple sources of evidence; and
(24G) - support a point of view on a social studies issue or event.
(25) - communicates in written, oral, and visual forms.
(25C) - transfers information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using computer software as appropriate, and
(25D) - creates written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies

Objectives: Student Outcomes: Students will demonstrate an understanding that civil rights are not freely given but must be taken. Students will have an understanding that tension created through nonviolent direct action can bring about change. Students will be able to identify individuals who became leaders. Using social studies skills, students will analyze how the Civil Rights movement has impacted society.

Materials:

• Adopted student text on U.S. history
• Library containing history books and magazines of the 50¹s and 60¹s such as Time and Life
• Databases such as SIRS Researcher and EBSCO Client (to retrieve full-text periodical articles)
• Reference works such as Annals of American History or the Encyclopedia of African-American History
• CD-ROMs such as The American Journal: The African-American Experience
• Useful_Internet_Resources (listed at the end of the lesson)
• Butcher paper
• Magic markers
• Glue

Notes: Before starting this unit, students should have an understanding of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, Jim Crow laws, segregation, and the purpose and goals of the NAACP. Students should also be able to organize a formal bibliography.

Instruction:

Day One

The teacher will cover the bulletin board with butcher paper and place at the top this statement, “Civil liberties are not freely given, but must be taken”. A horizontal line will divide the paper with the date 1954 placed at the far left, and 1968 placed at the far right.
The teacher will begin the unit by “segregating” a small group of students in the class. The easiest way to do this is to turn their desks to face the back of the room before they arrive in class. The teacher will lead a discussion/review of previously studied events, such as the Intolerable Acts, slavery, Dawes Act and Jim Crow laws, that took away individual rights. In this review, the teacher basically ignores the “segregated” students and uses the chalkboard, overhead projector, video/laser disk pictures to further limit those student’s right to an education. At some point, the students will begin to be uncomfortable at their treatment and the teacher can literally turn the discussion and their desks around to civil rights. The discussion can conclude by keying in to the statement on the bulletin board.
If your students keep journals, have them write in them now describing what it is like to learn in a segregated classroom, or how did they feel about learning in such a classroom.
Pass out the Timeline Instruction Page, (see Attachment) and as you read through it, emphasize the students responsibility to tell the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” in their oral presentation. Have the students draw for their topic.

Day Two and Three:

Students are in the library researching for their topic and finding or creating visual representations of their event to put on the timeline.

Day Four through Nine:

Students are making their presentations, placing their visual representation on the timeline, and the teacher is interjecting the appropriate speeches, essays, songs and poetry, or videos.

"Civil Rights Unit - Visual/Photographic Timeline Student Instructions"
Your responsibility is to research one of the following events/laws/people from the 1950’s and 1960’s, detailing the who, what, where, when, why and how, as it applies to the Civil Rights Movement and the statement that “Civil liberties are not freely given, but must be taken.”
You will not write a formal report, but you will receive a grade for your oral presentation to the class of your findings and interpretation of the subject. You will also receive a grade for a formal bibliography which will show all the sources you used in the research process. You must have at least four sources, one of which may be your textbook. As you research your subject, you will need to find or create visual representations of it to be placed on the bulletin board timeline. The more pictures or drawings you can place on the timeline, the better understanding we will have of your subject.
You will draw for your subject from this list, which is in the order of presentations: NAACP, Thurgood Marshall, Brown v Board of Education; Rosa Parks; Montgomery Bus Boycott; Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.; Crisis at Little Rock Arkansas; Daisy Bates; Civil Rights Act of 1957; Civil Rights Act of 1960; sit-ins; James Meredith; President Kennedy; George Wallace; Freedom Riders; March on Birmingham; March on Washington; President Johnson; Civil Rights Act of 1964; 24th Amendment; March on Selma; Voting Rights Act of 1965; Malcolm X; James Earl Ray.
You will have two class periods in the school library. Any more time needed will have to be done after school, in our school library or at the public library.
Presentations will begin on the fourth day of the unit and all formal bibliographies will be turned in on the fifth day of the unit.

Day Four through Nine:

Students are making their presentations, placing their visual representation on the timeline, and the teacher is interjecting the appropriate speeches, essays, songs and poetry, or videos.

Day Nine:

After all the oral presentations, the students will be asked to write a letter to the Editor of the local newspaper, explaining how history has shown that civil liberties are not freely given, but must be taken. The letter should contain examples from the reports to support the generalizations.

Assessment:

Rubrics Assessment:

1) Formal Bibliography is due Day 5 of the Unit:
2) Oral Presentation of Civil Rights topic
3) Culminating Letter to the Editor

Rubric: for Formal Bibliography
4 the bibliography will have four or more sources, and written in its proper MLA form,
3 the bibliography will have three to four sources but with a few minor errors in its proper MLA form,
2 the bibliography will have two to three sources but with several minor errors and either not alphabetized or improperly numbered,
1 the bibliography will have one to two sources but with several minor errors and not alphabetized and improperly numbered,
0 the student chose not to complete the bibliography.

Rubric for Timeline Presentation: the teacher needs to take notes on each presentation and then grade immediately according to the following rubric,

4 the student’s oral presentation shows a complete understanding and interpretation of the who, what, why, when, where and how of their event/person as it relates to Civil Rights and the bulletin board statement. Their visual/photographic timeline completely and creatively represents their event/person.

3 the student’s oral presentation shows understanding of the who, what, why , when, where and how of their event/person as it relates to Civil Rights and the bulletin board statement. Their visual/photographic timeline completely represents their event/person.

2 the student’s oral presentation does not show adequate understanding of the who, what, why, when, where and how of their event/person as it relates to Civil Rights and the bulletin board statement. Their visual representation does not show details of the event/person

1 the student’s oral presentation shows little understanding and is incomplete as to the who, what, why, when, where and how of their event/person as it relates to Civil Rights and does not relate to the bulletin board statement. Their visual representation does not relate to their event/person.

0 the student chose not to participate in the activity.
Rubric for Letter to the Editor

4 the letter includes three or more examples in detail and is tied to the prompt which shows complete understanding. It is also neat in appearance, in proper letter form with no punctuation, grammar and spelling errors.

3 the letter includes two examples in detail and is possibly tied to the prompt but shows understanding. It is in proper letter form but has minor errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

2 the letter includes two examples but does not show understanding or connections to the theme. It is has errors in proper letter form, minor errors in grammar and spelling. 1 the letter includes only one example which is poorly tied to the prompt, showing limited understanding and has major errors in letter form, punctuation, grammar and spelling.

0 the student chose not to participate in the activity.

Useful Internet Resources:

Little Rock Central High
http://www.centralhigh57.org
Contains timeline, photos, and explanation of events of the crisis at Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas.

National Civil Rights Museum
http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org
This web site participates with the National Civil Rights Museum in its mission to educate, and preserve the memory of the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Contains descriptions/photos of major events and people of the Movement.

Civil Rights: A Status Report
http://www.ghgcorp.com/hollaway/civil.htm
Gives the history of Black-Americans in United States history. Contains specific chapters on the major events of the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968. also contains biographies of leaders.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/42/2000e.html
Primary source document - Civil Rights Act of 1964

NAACP
http://www.naacp.org
Contains current issues that the NAACP is working on as well as a history of the organization.

Seattle Times
http://www.seattletimes.com/mlk
Contains biography, video, sound clips and timeline of the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King’s life.

Greensboro Sit-Ins
http://www.sitins.com
Brief description of the Greensboro sit-ins. contains links to newspaper account with audio clips from the original Greensboro “4”.

Social Studies 4-U.com
http://www.socialstudies4u.com
Contains links and resources for all Social Studies content areas.

Other Resources:

Annotated Bibliography

• African American Almanac. 3 vols.. Detroit, MI: UXL/Gale Research, 1994.
  Contains historical and current information articles on civil rights and African American life and culture.
• The African American Encyclopedia. 6 vols. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1993
  Encyclopedic format with entries on people, organizations, landmarks, entertainment, religion, family life, politics, court cases and cultural movements of African Americans.
• American Decades. 9 vols. Detroit, MI: Gale Research. 1994.
  Each volume chronicles a decade of the American 20th Century from 14 separate perspectives. 1950-1959 Volume contains articles, chronologies, and biographies on civil rights related topics such as education, integration and broad inequalities. 1960-1969 Volume contains articles, chronologies and biographies on civil rights related topics such as new awareness, activism, individual rights, and the youth movement.
• The Annals of America. 21 vols. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1968.
  Contains primary source materials relating to American history, life, and culture from 1493 to 1986. Good sources for speeches, essays, songs and poetry given during the civil rights movement. Volumes 17 and 18 cover the years 1950-1968.
• Black Women in America: A Historical Encyclopedia. 2 vols. Brooklyn, NY: Carlson Publishing, 1993.
  An encyclopedia about individual African American women, their contributions and struggles, Also contains signed articles on the civil rights movements.
• Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. 5 vols. New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1996.
  Contains signed articles on events, historical eras, legal cases, cultural achievements and 2,200 biographies, as well as essays.
• The Negro in American History. 3 vols. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corp., 1969.
  Contains primary source materials drawn from Annals of America dealing with African American history.
• The Twentieth Century. 6 vols. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.
  Covers the 20th century from an American perspective. Arranged in chronological order, each volume covers the nation, the world, economics, science and technology, arts and entertainment, sports and leisure. Volume 4 and Volume 5 deal specifically with the time period for this project.